Apple could very soon launch the iPhone SE or iPhone 9 as some are calling it, offering consumers with older iPhones a cheaper upgrade option than the iPhone 11. 

According to a 9to5Mac tipster, Apple may start taking orders for the iPhone SE on Friday. If it does launch sales now, it will only be available online, given all Apple retail stores outside China remain closed due to the coronavirus.  

Rumors of a new iPhone SE have been floating around for the past few months. The new model could replace the iPhone 8, with 4.7-inch LCD display, a Touch ID home button and the A13 processor used in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Plus. 

The iPhone SE will reportedly be available in white, black and red, with storage options of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. 

SEE: Top 20 Apple keyboard shortcuts for business users (free PDF)

Prices for the three options aren’t known yet, but TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted last year that the ‘iPhone SE 2’ would start at $399 compared with the $449 price of the iPhone 8, which has an A11 chip. 

The new iPhone SE is expected to be a popular upgrade path for owners of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s. 

If the new iPhone SE does start at $399 that would be the same price as the original iPhone SE, which launched in 2016 with the same chassis as the iPhone 5 but with the same specs as the iPhone 6S.

The 2020 iPhone SE is also expected to lack 3D Touch, which could translate into a longer-lasting battery.   

As CNET reports, Apple also could be gearing up to launch its Tile-like AirTags, which appear in a now removed Apple support video that showed users how to erase an iPhone.

Apple in February warned investors that it could experience iPhone supply shortages this year due to manufacturing constraints in China.